If You Think I'm Gone too Long
by Random13245
Summary: Sequel to Enderborn.
1. Life Doesn't Go On

_**Heyyyy! Another insomnia update, yaaaaay! So here's the sequel! Sorry it's so short, but it's just sort of the intro. Seeing a pattern in the story titles?**_

Zoey clung to Tee. Desperate for answers, she kept pressing.

"Is Rythian OK?"

A simple shake of the dinosaur's head and Zoey burst into tears. Nilesy came and comforted her, but neither Nilesy nor Teep could calm her tears. Zoey was alone before, but now, she was sure Rythian was gone. Now, despite Tee and Nilesy, she was truly alone.

-(line break)-

Blurred images came to focus.

Reinforced glass on all sides- even the bottom.

So the captured prey could be displayed. Below the entrapment, there was a sign that read:

_"THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS TO IMPERFECTIONS"_

Inside lay the hardly conscious Rythian. He took a moment to look at his reflection in the glass: his hair, normally spiked up so perfectly, was matted, he had no shirt on, and a dark scar running across his chest, and he was a great deal skinnier than he had been. Bits and pieces of what happened floated back to him.

_Tee... Tee... why does that name sound so important? What did this 'Tee' guy do?_ he felt utterly confused. He could remember, faintly, the battle with the Queen. And judging by the scar, an almost fatal blow had been dealt. But what about before the battle? What about the time between then and now? Mostly-_ where was he?_

Nothing.

-(line break)-

Zoey only stopped crying when her eyes could no longer cry. Then she collapsed into a heap of unintelligible sobs. Tee and Nilesy could offer no comfort that would even scratch the surface of Zoey's half-aware consciousness. She just sat there, alone and yet not lonely.


	2. New Home, New Memory

_**Ahhh, I just laughed myself to tears reading this Guest's review of the last chapter **_**Enderborn****_ and the first chapter of this, one was all like, "You can't just kill off... arrrgg never mind" and the other, "You can't do this to Zoey!"_**

**_Well clearly I can, I did and I will._**

He tried to break the glass, to break free. But to no avail, since the glass held strong, as it was supposed to. He tried to yell, gain someone's attention. But he wasn't sure anyone could hear him. Or maybe no one cared.

He slumped back. He took in his surroundings: reinforced glass on all sides, an elevated platform rising from the bottom of the cage (which is where he was sitting), and a small slit at the bottom, hopefully for food. He was starving. How long had he been out? He couldn't remember. Check, he couldn't even remember his own name! There were no signs of who he was. All he could remember was the dragon- the Queen, as his memory focused- and fighting. Nothing else.

He was drowning in his questions. Where was he? Why was he here? _Who_ was he? They fell around him and suffocated his thoughts.

-(line break)-

She'd been making progress, she really had been. But then, in one simple gesture, she went from progress to worse then she was before. Nilesy, who'd grown more and more anxious in the decaying castle, packed everyone's things up, and announced they were leaving.

"But... Nilesy..." Zoey stared at the marble floors and black walls, "I can't leave Blackrock... it's all I.." her voice drifted off. Nilesy, who was at first shocked at her speech, knew what she meant: it was all she had left of Rythian. She didn't want to leave.

"Zoey... it's for the best..." he mumbled. Zoey just looked away. "Tee! We're leaving!" he called out. The dinosaur, who had been waiting for this day to come ever since... he cut his own thoughts short, leaped out of his tower and joined Nilesy and Zoey.

They began walking. Nilesy had little to no clue of where he wanted the settle back down, all he knew was it had to be far away.

So they walked.

-(line break)-

"I see your awake, Enderborn." a seemingly familiar voice hissed. Enderborn? Is that his name? He looked up to meet the eyes of the one speaking to him- _Enderborn_- and was jolted to see angry purple eyes glaring him down through the glass.

"So you did live, hmmm? What a disappointment. At least you can be a live display." The purple-eyed Dragon turned away. But before returning to her castle, she turned around and said, "And don't even think of trying to get back to that precious home of yours." She scoffed.

He thought this over.

How was he supposed to go 'home' if he didn't know where it was? Frustrated, he punched the glass, causing his knuckles to drip a bit of blood. He leaned back, trying to relax _Enderborn, Enderborn..._ He kept repeating it to himself, hoping something would click.

And something did.

-(line break)-

Nilesy checked his waypoint at Blackrock. 3000 meters away. Perfect.

"We can stop here, Zoey!" He chimed. Zoey set down her stuff, and Teep did the same.

"Welcome to your new home, guys!" Nilesy said, trying very hard to be enthusiastic, but him enthusiasm was as mute as Tee.


	3. Bandanna

**_I FORGOT TO POST THIS CHAPTER. WTF IS WRONG WITH ME._**

Zoey resented this "new home". But, she resigned to simply make do. Nilesy began working on some basic shelter for them, but it looked as horrible as his pool shop. Teep knocked it down and made a better shelter of basalt bricks.

"Show off..." Nilesy murmured. Zoey was already deciding where her room was- she demanded it be far away from the other bedrooms, for some reason. They set up a basic 5 room house, with 3 bedrooms, a storage room and an everythingelsebecauseweranoutofspace room. Zoey's room was, as she asked, on the complete opposite side of the house from Teep's and Nilesy's.

She went straight into her room, shut and locked the door.

She began unpacking. Soon she came across a purplish black bandana. /Rythian's/ purplish black bandana. She held it tightly and choked back her tears.

"Be strong... you're pro-as-heck..." She mumbled. She very slowly released the cloth and set it down safely. She couldn't lose it.

-(line break)-

He just sat there. Day in, day out. Recollecting his thoughts. Putting his past back together. All he could remember was his name, Rythian. Rythian Enderborn.

Rythian.

He repeated it often, reteaching himself his name, to be sure he wouldn't forget the only piece of the past he'd put together. He couldn't help but wonder if he had friends. Weren't they worried? Would they come for him? He never would've guessed the right question to ask:

_Did they think he was dead?_

-(line break)-

Zoey spent a lot of time in her room. The silence was beautiful. No one, not even Zoey herself, could fathom why a girl who wanted nothing more than to be somebody, found comfort in being nobody.

_If I'm nobody,_ she thought one day, _then my past is null._ She liked looking at it that way; it made her feel sane still. But she could never- and _would_ never forget. Her heart lived in the inconstant limbo of heartbreak- one day she'd be ok, maybe chat a bit, but the next, _awful_. The awful days more often the ok days. Never good days.

On those awful days, she lock up in her room, and curl up on her bed, with the purplish black bandana, and just cry until she could cry. Even on her ok days, her appearance reflected this. She hardly ate; a bowl of mushroom soup here or there. Her clothes were still way to big for the size she'd shrunk to. Her hair was simply too far gone, knots and twists all over.

But without... _him_ what's her appearance matter?

-(line break)-

The slot at the bottom _was_ for food, he discovered. Not very good food, or a sufficient amount, but food, nonetheless. He- Rythian, as he often reminded himself- gave up and gave in.

He gave up on trying to remember; it only frustrated him. He gave in to his entrapment; he found it pointless to even try to escape.

So he sat.

A 'live display' to all the black skinny creatures- Endermen, he thought he heard them be called- who came by. They taunted him with their freedom. They liked to watch him, for some reason. They found it intriguing to just stand and _stare_ at him. He hated it.

He hated everything about this. This place, these people- or more so, monsters.

-(line break)-

Teep left the house a lot. He needed to just walk and think often, to get his mind off...

Nilesy was often alone in the house, even if Zoey was home she was always locked away her room, doing something that Nilesy had no clue of.

Zoey liked her room; so quiet, and empty. She'd put the bandana on a bedside table, so that, if she needed to, when her nightmares occurred, she could reach for it. She got nightmares a lot. They haunted her, they ate away at her. She hated it.


	4. Loose Glass

_**I'm trying very hard to make sure the line breaks show up. They were originally three little asterisks but fanfiction was being an idiot and deleted them in the Doc Manager. Every. Time. But I think I got it this time :)**_

Nilesy tried to keep his pool business afloat, seeing as it was their only source of income, but he just couldn't. There were no customers for it. He had to close up the shop.

Zoey hardly noticed Nilesy's business failure, she was always in her room. Sometimes she'd sit silently and think. The atmosphere in her room reflected this; it felt lighter. Other times, she'd sob clinging to the bandanna. The atmosphere was heavy, weighted with the lose of her mind and her love.

She was a different kind of crazy now; now she was the kind of crazy that came and went, but lingered constantly. This may seem better, but the on and off crazy drove both her and those around even more crazy. Her emotions were unpredictable, her break downs inconstant. And yet even on a day she felt ok there was the constant feeling of insanity. She really, really hated it.

-(My name is Dave!Linebreak and I have the balls to break this line)-

One day, he'd noticed something. Something peculiar.

One of the squares of reinforced glass was just barely loose. The center bottom one, to be exact. Every night he'd kicked at it over and over, chipping off just a little bit. He'd then sleep during the day, which successfully drove away the staring Endermen.

He wondered that if he got out, would he remember something? Would his past come back to him? Most likely not, but he couldn't help but hope.

There was a better world beyond this 'End'.

In his head he painted pictures of the friends that would immediately great him when he got back. The first was a boy, who wore a lot of green, because the color green vaguely was tied to blurred out fond memories. Rythian named him Teep, after the name that seemed so familiar. The second was a girl, with fiery red hair, and a bubbly personality. Rythian named her Zoey, because for some reason, when he was coming up with names for them, the name Zoey just sounded right.

Zoey sounded right to him.

-(line break)-

Zoey scribbled in her notebook. Or rather, her song book.

"Enderborn... if you think I'm gone too long, your worst fears will all be wrong. Our Blackrock story carries on." was all she had so far. The pages were dotted with tears, many lines scratched out, many times rewritten.

Zoey hesitated. She'd already decided to write this as if he were still here, as if the nuke was about to go off, but she couldn't quite decide what to write next. She sighed and closed the book, setting it on her bedside table next to the bandanna.

She wondered if she'd ever feel better. She wondered if she'd die this way, wallowing in heartbreak. She didn't want to.. but in her eyes, she probably would.


	5. When a Dinosaur is Angry

_**Oh. My. God. I had this whole chapter typed up. I highlighted it. I went to copy it. I PASTED OVER IT A COPY OF LAST CHAPTER. For a couple hours, I could even look at the notepad app. I just couldn't do it. It was a long chapter and I hope it still is. And to the guest who reviewed last chapter l like 30 minutes ago, thanks! I would've had more up sooner if it weren't for DELETING THE WHOLE FRIGGIN CHAPTER... *ahem***_

The glass was, ever so slightly, tilted out of place. Not quite enough, though.

He wondered why he really needed to get out in the first place. Yes, he was trapped, but he was content. Yes, he was alone, but he could dream. Yes, he was a tourist attraction, but he could drive them away. Nevertheless, he continued to try and get the glass to fall out.

There was something better beyond these reinforced glass walls. Something better beyond this world. He was bound to find it.

-(line break)-

"No help in sight, just blue from the forcefield's light, but I know I'll get this right. Making sure I'll defuse the bomb." She sang back to herself what she'd written. She felt content with these lyrics.

She glanced out her window. It was actually quite dark. Was Teep home yet? She hadn't a clue. She very slowly set her song book down next to the bandanna, and got up. She unlocked her door and opened it.

Zoey was struck with the sudden sensation of discomfort. This house wasn't her home. It never would be, but at least her room had been comforting. Now, she was out of room. And it was uncomfortable for her.

She looked at Nilesy, who looked aged by ten plus years from all he'd had to deal with. Zoey suddenly wish she'd been there for him more, instead of simply letting him be there for her.

"Oh, so you decided to emerge, eh?" he tried to tease, but his voice was flattened like a balloon with a million needles in it.

"Is Tee home yet? It's getting dark."

"No, but I'm sure he'll be back soon. He's a smart dinosaur."

Zoey nodded thoughtfully, then returned to her room. Shutting and locking the door, she felt secure again. She flopped down on the bed and held on to the, now tear stained, bandanna.

-(line break)-

He dreamed a lot of the friends he'd imagined. He'd dream of them coming to find him, getting him out, reminding him of everything. He dreamed of finding them. Zoey and Teep felt close enough to touch, and yet millions upon millions of miles away. Every centimeter the glass moved, he felt closer to them. To reaching them.

They were more of a goal then anything else.

-(line break)-

Teep was mad. But not at himself, no no no no. At the Ender Dragon. He'd, at first, saw himself at fault for rythians death, but Teep was smarter than that. He came realize it all boiled down the Queen. And he was mad. He almost wanted to go back to End, and finish what he started, but he honestly wasn't sure what exactly he started, or if he wanted to finish it. He wasn't equipped for it either. No weapons, except his bow and silly stone sword. He'd thrown out Super Jim. It was Rythian's sword any way. No armour. Nothing. So instead, he stayed out past dark, slashing mobs and pretending he was slashing the Queen. In a dark corner of his mind, he knew Zoey would worry. But the rest of his mind didn't care; it was so overrun by hate.

-(line break)-

Zoey bit her lip. Where was Tee?! She couldn't handle him disappearing _again_. She just couldn't.

She began to sob into the bandanna. She couldn't lose Tee, too! Sure, she hardly left her room and acknowledged anyone's existence, but she knew they were there. And she _needed_ them there.

Desperately.


	6. If At First You Don't Succeed

_**Not exactly a very long chapter, but oh well. I JUST REALIZED I REALLY MESSED UP- GO BACK AND REREAD FROM CHAPTER 3 ON. I SIMPLY DIDN'T POST THE ACTUAL CHAPTER 3 AND IT REALLY REALLY REALLY MESSED IT ALL UP. GO BACK. REREAD. UNDERSTAND. THANK YOU.**_

The Queen was growing frustrated with the annoying Enderborn. He used to provide some entertainment to the Endermen, but now he just _slept_. The nerve! _Well,_ she thought, _if at first you don't succeed, try try try again._

She begin to laugh to herself. Yes. That's _exactly_ what she'd do. Try again.

-(line break)-

Voices began flooding Zoey's head. Familiar voices that she couldn't quite place. Their words all merged together to form one big headache of speech. Zoey hadn't any idea what they were saying, why they were saying it, of where these voices were from. They just spoke, all day, to her. Nonsensical speech as it seemed to Zoey.

Rather quickly, she came to like to the voices. They distracted her from her worry over Tee. They comforted her with their mashed together words.

-(line break)-

Tee couldn't go home. Not until he calmed down.

He was almost out of arrows, though, and his sword was looking rather beaten. In fact, he looked rather beaten. He knew he should really go home. He turned to head home when he realized something awful: he was lost.

-(line break)-

He was almost free, almost. He just needed a few more days, and the glass would fall out of place, and he'd escape. Gone. To his home... if he had one. To his friends... if he had any. He was suddenly brought to realize that he could be escaping to nothing; no home, no friends. He could be putting forth such an effort to find a new world as meaningless as this. He felt blind in the situation. If he never tried, he'd never know. He'd decided a short time after he woken up from his near death experience that knowing was the most important thing. He had to know.

-(line break)-

Nilesy sighed. He couldn't sleep.

If he wasn't here, he could be running a successful business with a happy life... but if he wasn't here, what would've become of Zoey? She seems ok now, or at least for the most part. If he left... would Zoey even notice? She was so constantly in her room. He was stunned when she'd asked if Tee was home yet. And even now, many hours after the fact, Teep was not, in fact, home yet. Nilesy tried to worry, but he'd spent a lifetime's worth or worrying over Zoey and her mental state. There was no worry left in him.

-(line break)-

The Queen contemplated how to go about this retry. There was so many ways to try again. So many beautifully and satisfyingly gruesome ways.


	7. The Youngest Ones are the Most Accepting

_**764 words. SEVEN HUNDRED AND SIXTY FOUR WORDS. (NOT COUNTING THIS) Better be happy :P**_

Zoey tried to decipher the voices; what were they saying? She'd at first taken comfort in the pure mess their speech was, but now, as the voices' tones shifted ever so slightly, they felt important. They felt real.

-(line break)-

"Eeeenderrrboorn," a long, drawn out, hiss cane from outside the glass, rattling the sleeping Rythian from his dream, "nice to see your awake..." her voice dripped with venom. "You want out so badly? Fine."

Rythian was shocked. What could she possibly mean? She'd almost succeeded- much to her glee and then disappointment- in killing him before. He wouldn't be surprised if she was just going to try again.

He shook his head. He'd already figured the glass could only be hear from through one way, saying no would be pointless.

She looked outraged.

"This is not a choice, imbecile! You are getting out of the cage, or I'll kill you /in/ the cage!" her voice gave an ominous echo.

Rythian was so close. So close to what Teep and Zoey stood for. So close.

And yet.

So far.

-(line break)-

Tee looked around cluelessly. Nothing was familiar. Nothing pointed him towards his home. So he started walking; maybe he'd find something. He could only hope.

Hope, and survive.

-(line break)-

Rythian knew, somehow, he wasn't going to ever get the chance to see that glass fall out. The Queen would make sure of this. He'd almost given up. Almost given in. But the created images of Zoey and Teep- or at least what they stood for- caused him to try.

One morning, when he was finding it particularly hard to sleep, a younger Enderman without a taller one guiding it, came by. It stared at him for a moment. Rythian stared back. This little Enderman's eyes were the same purple, but deeper, as if the night sky were in its wide eyes. Then tried its hardest to read the sign. It looked back up at him.

Suddenly, the little Enderman was next to him. Rythian almost jumped, but with no room to do so he just whacked into the wall. The little Enderman stretched out its long black arms towards him; it didn't grab him, simply offered its hand. Rythian hesitated. Then he took the little Enderman's outstretched hand.

And before he'd put two and two together, he was out of the cage. Standing next to him the little Enderman's eyes went wide with joy. It became to chant in a language Rythian didn't know how he know it.

"I did it! I did it! I told my mom I could teleport!" Then he looked up to Rythian's confused face and said, "I never thought you were a imperfection. You seem fine to me."

He didn't know how to respond. This little Enderman, who might have before seemed complete insignificant, had intentionally saved his life. Rythian didn't know- or honestly care- how the young Enderman didn't see him imperfect. Without another word Rythian began to run; he had no clue where or why, but he ran.

Every step he felt closer to them. To freedom. To friends. To a better world.

-(line break)-

Zoey wanted to scream. The voices got louder, and even more indecipherable. She felt like her head was going to split in two. She clung to the bandanna, trying so hard to shut it all out.

Then it just stopped. Suddenly, and without fade, the voices were gone.

Zoey released the bandanna and grabbed her song book.

"But if Duncan the decides to bring that remote by his side, and activate the switch that will blow this whole place wide, or if I cut the wire and I find I've got it wrong, then our Blackrock story carries on." And right in that instant a single voices whispered to her:

_"He's alive..."_

-(line break)-

Teep dug down into the ground and hid safely. He'd search for home in the morning.

His eyes slowly opened. It seemed to still be dark, but after digging out of the hole he discovered it to be morning. He kept out, and looked around.

Then he walked. He watched as the zombies and skeletons of the night burned; it was a fascinating display.

He was almost about to give up on going home, when he saw something in the distance. He wasn't sure if it was his home, but it was civilization.

-(line break)-

Zoey's heart practically stopped. _Who's alive?_ she tried to ask the voice, _Rythian? Tee? Who?!_ but the voice didn't respond.

It simply left Zoey to feel even crazier than she was before.


	8. Castle

_**Hey everyone. So you guys can thank MAC_games on deviantART for this chapter. If it hadn't been for hee updating her fanfic that I love, I wouldn't have found my inspiration to rewrite this. Also fanfiction is being incredibly glitchy right now so if any italicized words are double spaces away from a non italicized word, blame fanfiction for making one space look like there was no space.**_

Tee had not only found civilization, he found a castle.

_Lalna's_ castle, to be exact. But, with no choice, Teep slowly approached. As he knocked on the door, he almost hoped Lalna wouldn't be home, then he'd have an excuse to just leave.

But the door opened.

-(line break)-

Zoey was mentally pacing the floor. She tried very hard to believe the voice was _not_, in fact, speaking of Rythian. She didn't want to get her hopes up. She told herself over and over that voice means Tee. Tee is alive. Not Rythian. No.

But unlike all the other times simply telling herself something did not make her believe. She could not help but hope.

-(line break)-

He'd be lying if he said he was thinking. His mind had no clue of where he was going.

He'd be lying if he said he wasn't scared. He was terrified.

Rythian ran on instinct. His body knew perfectly well where he was going. His mind knew perfectly well that it did not know. All his mind knew was to run. Get away from _this_, get to _that_. But what was the _this _his mind was running from? What was the _that_ it wished to reach?

One question really struck him: _Why?_

-(line break)-

Nilesy felt dead already. He felt ripped apart from the inside out. He sighed. He didn't have to be here. He didn't have to save Zoey when Rythian and Teep went missing. He didn't have to. So why did he? He didn't know.

He often felt alone in the rather large home. Zoey was usually in her room, but she stayed there. She might as well have not even been there. Tee... where was Tee? He _is_ an incredibly intelligent dinosaur, surely he's alive? Yes, he has to be. Nilesy had never felt sure of this.

Feeling sure of something felt so foreign to him. He hadn't felt sure of anything since he felt sure that Zoey needed him- or at the very least someone- when Rythian and Tee disappeared. That felt so long ago. Now he wasn't even sure if Zoey knew he was there anymore. Part of him- the good part, in his opinion- hoped she did need him, it gave justice to why he was still here, falling to pieces. The other part- the bad part, he'd deemed it- wanted Zoey to forget he existed, it gave him reason to leave and pick up the pieces as went. But he knew he wouldn't leave, even if Zoey forgot he existed. He felt needed, so he stayed.

-(line break)-

"H-hello?" That unpleasantly familiar voice spoke. Tee tried to be nice, and waved, but he couldn't hide the scalely scowl on his face. "Tee, what the hell are you doing here?" Lalna spoke sharply. Tee tried to motion and gesture in a way that explain his predicament, but he just ended up looking like a deranged kangaroo on a broken trampoline. Lalna shook his head to cut of the kangaroo, "We're going to need some paper." Lalna took a backwards step into his castle, "Come inside." He motioned for Tee to come inside. Tee took another second or two to compare he options. Option one-hour go inside. Option two- leave and be lost again. He chose option one.

Tee waited by the fountain while Lalna went into his castle and retrieved a paper and pen. "Here," Lalna offered the supplies, so Tee took them. In large, crude, dinosaur handwriting he wrote "LOST". And handed it back to Lalna. Lalna looked at the paper for a moment or two, then responded, "Well Blackrock's right down the ro-" Tee cut him off with frantic head shakes and hand waving, "You don't live at Blackrock anymore?" Teep nodded. Lalna twiddle the buttons on his lab coat, deciding the mute dinosaur must've run away from Rythian. Lalna wasn't really in a provoking mood, and deciding simply keeping the dinosaur wasn't a good idea. He just help the dinosaur on its way to its new home. He released the button and spoke to the dinosaur.

"Well, where's your new home?"

-(line break)-

Zoey could barely look at her song book. Every time she did, she could practically hear the voice repeating itself. It tortured her that she didn't know _who_. _Who?!_

She curled up into a ball. Not long before, she'd wanted nothing more than the voices o stop. Now, she wanted them to coke back. To answer her. She wanted to know.

She _had_ to know.


	9. Hallucinations

_**Dang, you guys really loved Kyle. I'll be honest, I was pretty set on him only appearing once (plus his background story), but because several people wanted more, I gave more. So here you go! Also if you have no clue who Kyle is, read my story The Enderman that Saved Him.**_

He still hadn't decided why he was running when he tripped- or _was_ tripped. By an Enderman. He looked up to see the Queen, those glaring purple eyes dared him to move.

"Escaping, are we?" She said with faux sweetness, "We can't have that, now can we?" She hissed. She made a motion to the Endermen, and they grabbed him. He struggled to get out of their grasp, but it was pointless, they had him.

And he'd been so close, too. Being captured in the end didn't bother him, it was how close he was to getting away that irked him. They dragged him away.

_So close,_ he thought, _so close._

-(line break)-

Many hours and pieces of paper later, Teep had figured out a good way home. He took the directions with him, not only to help him remember, but to make sure Lalna forgets. He didn't want another nuke.

Tee started on his way home. It was a rather long walk, Nilesy made sure that they were far when he moved them. How was Nilesy? Holding together, Tee hoped. Nilesy really drained himself trying to help the hopeless Zoey. Zoey. How was Zoey? How did she react when Tee had not come home? Tee hoped they were both ok.

Before long, it was dark. He'd gather some wood earlier so he constructed a house and hid out the night.

Morning came, he continued on. He didn't know how long it would be until he got home, but he hoped he'd be back soon.

-(line break)-

Zoey was sitting her bed, repeating the voice's statement over and over.

"He's alive. He's alive. He's alive." Zoey spoke. And at that very moment the front door opened. She kept from her to go greet whoever it was who opened it. She rushed out of her room and ran to the door.

There, in front of her, was her dinosaur. Zoey did not wait for an explanation, she just threw her arms around Tee and hugged him as tightly as possible. Teep tried to hug back, but his arms were restricted by Zoey's overwhelming hug.

"Tee! You're alive!" She said.

-(line break)-

Kyle had watched with etched curiosity as the human ran off. He couldn't stop himself from following. And now, here he was, watching the human being carried away. He'd almost helped him. Kyle wanted to help further and free the human of the Endermen's grasp, but as the older kids would tease, Kyle was just and Enderboy. He wasn't strong enough to fight off two Endermen and face the Queen.

Kyle followed. He didn't much care about how late it was, or how worried his mother would be if she cared enough to check on him. He didn't even care about how angry she'd be. He just wanted to find _his_ opportunity to seem important. _His_ opportunity to help. He wanted to find that moment where only he could step in and be the hero when no one else would. If only his mom understood that. Kyle wondered about how much simpler his life would be if she did.

He followed behind the Queen and her minions, hiding as best he could. One good thing about being an 'Enderboy' was he was small, and could hide was inconspicuous, considering the Queen always wanted to make a spectacle of everything and old and young Endermen flocked to watch her. He merged in with the crowd, pretending to be as mindless as the others. He'd learned awhile ago he was one of the only Endermen who could think for themselves. Oh, how his independent mind was wasted.

While the other Endermen's dark, thoughtless purple eyes followed the Queen, Kyle's much more lavender in shade eyes followed the human.

-(line break)-

Nilesy watched as Zoey burst from her room and ran to the front door.

He watched as she gasped in pure joy.

He watched as she wrapped her arms around the air in front of her.

He listened as she cried out, "Tee! Your alive!" into the nothingness. And that was when it occurred to Nilesy that she was hallucinating. She wanted Teep home so badly, that her mind gave her Tee. Just not the real Tee.


	10. The Slaying of Rythian Enderborn Part 2

_**This chapter may seem short, buts 777 words without the author's note. I'm getting pretty good at making the chapters longer, eh? And I must say, I frickin love writing for Kyle. There's just so many things to say from his 3rd person point of view. I actually have to stop myself from getting to far into the story with Kyle, and not mirroring with Rythian. *sings joyously* DON'T STOP ME NOW, I'M HAVING SUCH A GOOD TIME!**_

Rythhung limp in the long black arms. He'd tried. He'd failed. And now he'd lost all will to try again. Th queen motioned and they dropped him the middle of a stadium. A hauntingly familiar stadium with _Colossuem-esque_ feel. Rythian hadn't even noticed they were going anywhere until now. The Queen allowed the trailing Endermen to flood into the stadium, and one by one they sat. One Enderman particularly caught Rythian's eye. A young one, small and well hidden amongst the other Endermen. His eyes, unlike the others, were a light purple. Lavender would be good way to describe them. His eyes, much to the contrast of the others, were on Rythian. They seemed to hold a struggle of their own.

It was definitely not immediate that it hit Rythian, but it sure hit him. That was the Enderman that had teleported him free.

-(line break)-

Kyle watched. He felt like he did that too much. He knew he needed to act, but how? How could he make any difference in the human's fate? Even if he tried, the human would end the same, and Kyle would end similarly.

For more than just a glance their eyes met. The lavender eyes softly watching the seafoam green eyes. They held eye contact for awhile, then let it go. Kyle was almost certain in that moment before it disappeared, a flash of understanding passed through those seafoam green eyes. Kyle ached. He was almost sure the human would despise him now, letting him free to be captured once more. Maybe the human thought that Kyle'd done it on purpose. But the seafoam green eyes did not seem accusing, or hateful, just regretful.

Regret. Oh, boy, where there a lot of things Kyle regretted. The biggest one was ever growing compliant. He'd just let his mom, teacher, and peers string him up and control and contort him like a puppet until he fit their liking. But, honestly, Kyle's current regrets did not matter now. What mattered was his furniture regrets if he did not save the human.

The Queen stood up, in all her pompous glory, and began speaking, "Hello, and welcome to the slaying of Rythian Enderborn... _part 2_." She said with an evil laugh, "Today, I promise you, my loyal subjects, there will be no disappointment. There will be blood!" The crowd erupted into cheers. However, Kyle noted, they would've done the same if she had said that there would be unicorns and rainbows. Kyle didn't like cheering, he almost felt traitorous when he did so, but he had to to blend in. He almost laughed at how ridiculous that was- traitorous! Traitorous to who? The human? Sure, Kyle wanted to save him but he held no loyal responsibilities to the human. Traitorous! The word seemed so silly.

-(line break)-

"Hello, and welcome to the slaying of Rythian Enderborn... _part 2_"

Rythian froze. Not just for the 'the slaying of Rythian Enderborn' part, but for the 'part 2' part. Part 2?! He'd been slain before? He was about to be slain _again_?

Something wasn't clicking in his mind, and he knew it. He couldn't put two and two together without one two.

The Queen smiled deviously, "Today, I promise you, my loyal subjects, there will be disappointment. There will be blood!" The roar if the crowd almost shook the entire stadium. Rythian felt fear gnawing at his brain. He hated it. He didn't want his mind crowded with fear.

-(line break)-

"Nilesy! Nilesy, look! Tee's home!" Zoey exclaimed happily to Nilesy. Nilesy opened his mouth to say something, but all that came out was, "Yeah." He'd almost pointed out her hallucinations, but he hadn't seen her this happy in a very long time, and decided to let her be happy.

_Happy._

-(line break)-

Rythian Enderborn was his name, Kyle now knew. And it sounded so familiar... ah, yes that was it! Some time ago- well, actually it couldn't have Bern much more than a month ago- the Queen sent out word that she was on the hunt for a Rythian Enderborn. She'd enlisted 'all Endermen with full telepathic abilities' to hunt down this Rythian Enderborn. Kyle could've joined the hunt, but he found it stupid to follow every word of the Queen. Besides, what could this 'Rythian Enderborn' have done to deserve this? Kyle still didn't have an answer.

The Queen turned to the human and went to lunge.

_This is my moment,_ Kyle thought, _there will never be a better time._

He took a deep breath and...

"_STOP!_" the word was out if his mouth before he thought about what next.

He'd made a big mistake.


	11. Rebels Together

_**Heyo mayo. Kinda a short chapter (600+ words). Remember when a 'short chapter' for me was like 100+ words? PROGRESS. IT HAPPENS.**_

Kyle wanted to take the word back, be silent again. But he couldn't.

The Queen turned to him in a slow dramatic sort of way. She did not look pleased. The Endermen around him didn't direct their attention anywhere but the Queen, despite Kyle being right there, clearly accusable. But the Queen saw him, with or without the prying eyes of the others.

"You there, child. What your name?" The question seemed innocent, but Kyle knew it was not. Nevertheless, he couldn't fool the Queen even if he could come up with a fake name.

"Kyle." He stated, trying to keep his voice from shaking.

"Kyle. Kyle _Enderlong?_ The child with no teleporting abilities?" She laugh, "Pathetic. You really think you can make _any_ difference?" She hissed. The obedient, complacent side of Kyle told him to say no, and sit back down. But that side of him had grown weak, useless. The rebellious side told him to push his luck.

"Well, yeah!" Kyle said.

"Well, no. You're alone in this little battle. If you keep it up there won't even be you." The Queen snapped. Kyle almost gave in, but he caught sight of the human- Rythian, wasn't it?- who was watching the Endermen, waiting. He was waiting for a moment when their attention was completely on the Queen or Kyle. Kyle had the opportunity once more to shine.

"_No_" gasps flooded the crowd. The Queen lurched back and yelled.

"_NO ONE SAYS NO TO THE QUEEN!_" and she took a slash at Kyle.

But she was slashing air.

Kyle wasn't there. He teleported down to the bottom of the stadium. He caught sight of the human, long gone, and, in a flash, teleported next to him.

-(line break)-

When the young lavender-eyed Enderman stood up against the Queen, Rythian was blown away. The young Enderman didn't back down to the Queen, and easily diverted everyone's attention. Giving Rythian the perfect chance to run.

So he did. And he rather far when suddenly an Enderman was next to him. He did immediately realize it, but it was the Enderman that saved him. He ran next to Rythian. Rebels together. Rythian could almost taste the freedom.

-(line break)-

Nilesy wasn't sure how much longer he could stand having a conversation with a mute dinosaur who wasn't there just to keep Zoey happy. He could barely have a conversation with Tee when he was there.

He knew he had to tell Zoey. He knew she needed and deserves to know.

"Zoey..." Nilesy looked up into her deep blue eyes. He'd never seen her so happy.

"Yes, Nilesy?"

He couldn't do it. He could shattered her spirit. He had to, through. "It's about... Tee..."

"Well you don't have to talk about him like he's not in the room, ya know!"

"He's not."

"What are you talking about? He's right there!"

"Zoey, your imagining him. He's not there." It was in that single moment that Nilesy watch her her heart shatter in her eyes. Just. Like. That.

"He's... not?" At first, it sounded like a question, but as she repeated it, it became a statement. A fact.

Nilesy reached to hug her, but she brushed him off and escaped to her room.

-(line break)-

Tee had days, possibly weeks, ahead of him. He picked up and moved a lot. Almost every morning, rather up all his resources, knock down the house, walk on. The scenery was almost pleasently unfamiliar. The kind of unfamiliarity that made you want to be familiar with it. The kind that struck curiosity at every turn.

But Tee did no bother to stop and completely take in his surroundings. He had a goal. He was going to reach it.


	12. Watched

_**Ok, this chapter is reeaaallly short. Like 530 some words. But... the government shut down xD #excuses like a boss**_

They ran side by side. It seemed like Rythian was leading the way, but he honestly had no clue of where he was going. Or rather, where _they_ were going. High they certainly were going. The lavender eyes darted from the area ahead of them, to the area behind. Watching.

Rythian still didn't understand the Enderman. He'd freed Rythian. He'd stood up to the Queen for him. He'd fought for him to be free.

Why? He almost asked, but he saw this no time be asking questions. He just kept running. But the running caused more questions, like where was he going? Where we're _they_ going?

Rythian honestly hoped the little Enderman knew.

-(line break)-

Kyle sprinted along with the human. _Rythian,_ Kyle told himself, _the human's names Rythian._ Kyle just couldn't seem to shake the habit of referring to him as 'the human.' And, to be fair, Rythian probably referred to Kyle as 'the Enderman.' Or maybe he saw him in the light most people did and referred to him as 'the Enderboy.' He really hoped he didn't.

Kyle had little to no clue of where they were going, or where they even were. He'd let the human take the reins and lead him out, but he was beginning to doubt Rythian's navigation skills. He didn't seem capable of telling left from right. But then again, who was Kyle to assume about someone's abilities?

The thought of his mother did cross his mind. He didn't know where he was running o, but he knew what he was from. His mom. The school. His mom would probably be happy with him gone. Besides he 'never listened' anyway. She'll probably worry for an hour or two, then realize just how much simpler her life was now that her weak, unable son was out of the picture. But what if she did care? The question danced across his mind with such grace and yet surprise. Of course she wouldn't care! That's as silly as the 'traitorous' thing. Kyle reassured himself his mom wouldn't care.

Right?

-(line break)-

Zoey curled up into a ball. It wasn't real to her anymore. None of it was real anymore. She'd only taped the pieces of her heart back together. But, as it always does, the tape peeled off. Except it was more like it was ripped off, not only did the heart break hurt, but the removal of the tape hurt, too. She wanted to let the pain win. She wanted to give in. But deep down inside her she knew she had to hold strong. Something told her she'd be alright in the end. She wasn't sure how much she trusted this feeling, but with nothing better to lean on, she took what she could get.

-(line break)-

Nilesy watched as Zoey ran off to her room, not another word was spoken.

Nilesy watched her collapse. Down, like a great structure built by brilliant architects that one day just fell over. It was an earth-shattering sight.

Nilesy just watched. That was his problem, he watched. Actionless and speechless, he watched.

It occurred to him that he felt like an innocent bystander when he didn't involve himself to much.


	13. Boom

_**THIS IS THE END! But not really. This is the end of If You Think I'm Gone Too Long, but take comfort in the next story's title- You're Worst Fears Will All be Wrong. They are not just lyrics.**_

Ahead of them Kyle could see something strictly forbidden to Endermen of his age. It glowed with a purplish light, he'd never see one before and he was filled with awe at seeing it. He knew exactly what it was.

A portal to the human world. His mom talked briefly of the human world, with a strong bias, of course. She claims it was a disgusting thing, people dared to kill Endermen. People dared to ignore Endermen. She said she never wanted to go back. She said if ever she needed anything from the human world, she'd send his dad.

Kyle shuddered. He really hated mentioning his dad in any way. His dad didn't exactly leave, but he was never married to his mom, and he just went out on his own to places Kyle never knew about, and places his mom despised. As Kyle got older he began to realize what his father was really doing. He hated it. His mom still acted as if his dad was still always there, ready to help, but Kyle knew better.

Rythian obviously saw the portal. It seemed to Kyle that the plan was to leave the End. Kyle gave one last thought to his mom, and what he was leaving behind. It wasn't much, and certainly not enough to make him stay.

Then the two rebels leapt into the portal without a word.

-(line break)-

The lights flashed and the world reformed before his eyes. The regular world. This is what his mom hated so much? It seemed fine to Kyle. Rythian had a strange look in his eyes.

"The Queen... She said I had a 'precious home' here..." He looked around. Then he looked at Kyle, "Ya know, kid, you'd be in a much better position if you didn't do that."

"But that's no fun." Kyle gave a rebellious smile. Rythian laughed lightly.

"So, what's your name? And do you have any idea where anything is here?"

"Kyle. And no, the human world is strictly off limits to kids." Kyle looked around, trying to get his bearings. "No sense in standing 'round. Well never get anywhere if we go nowhere." Kyle would've loved to take credit for such an amazing sentence, but truth be told he'd read it in a book. He felt it applied to his predicament perfectly. Rythian nodded and started walking. Kyle followed, shamelessly hiding behind Rythian, for fear that what his mom had said was true and humans killed Endermen. Kyle couldn't help but wonder why a human had no idea where anything in the human world was. He dared to ask.

"Didn't you live here? Don't you know you're way around?" Kyle mumbled.

"I think I used to. I can't remember anything since waking up in the cage." Rythian said thoughtfully.

"Oh..." Kyle never really thought about Rythian forgetting his past. It seemed almost inevitable that he'd forget. After all, he sure seemed dead before he'd woke up. Kyle even assumed he was dead.

"What's this place?" Rythian stopped at a ruined castle, "I wonder how anyone could live here."

"I dunno." Kyle responded. He inspected the black bricks the castle was made of. There were several missing bricks and destroyed sections. It was certainly a mess.

"It seems... familiar. Like an old friend lived here." Rythian mumbled, almost silent.

-(line break)-

Lalna snickered. Tee was gone, ran away from Rythian and Blackrock, but Rythian was not. And neither was the nuke. He played with the remote, adjusting some settings.

Then, he pushed the big red button. Everyone knows you _never_ push the big red button.


End file.
